The number of aerial drones, which are small aircraft directed on the ground by drone pilots, have increased dramatically on U.S. farms and ranches over the past couple of years. The numbers jumped from about 1,000 in January 2024 to almost 5,500 by July 2025. This growth is partly due to the price of the drones dropping and the increased utility of the aircraft that are capable of broadcasting seeds, applying crop chemicals and scouting for weeds and livestock without the pilot having to physically be on the fields and pastures. Agricultural drones offer ag producers a cost effective way of applying their payloads on crops that have required ground applications in the past. Currently widely-used drone models cost around $5,000 in China, but the price in the U.S. is around $20,000 or more, which is similar to the price of a small tractor. The largest models can carry a payload of about 220 lbs. Most of these drones have been built in other countries, and last week, the Trump Administration banned the importation of foreign made drones, which have been getting larger and more capable since they were first introduced a decade or so ago. According to the Federal Communications Communications Commission, drones and critical parts made outside of the U.S. pose an “unacceptable” national security risk and are prohibited going forward. After the Trump announcement, The American Soybean Association weighed in stating, “Foreign-manufactured drones represent a significant majority of the agricultural drone market, and sudden restrictions on their use without available domestically manufactured alternatives risk adding new financial and operational burdens for farmers already facing tight margins and market uncertainty.”
The latest United Nations “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” report was released recently. It points out what the growth rate in the production of food is in the world, and what will be needed to fill the growing demand for food, animal feed and fiber in the future. On the global level, The report noted that agricultural productivity is slowing down, rather than speeding up, from 1.9% from 2001 to 2010, and down to .7% from 2013 to 2022, and on the global level, one in eleven people faced hunger. This indicates that as the world’s population continues to climb, food production is losing ground. To improve this situation, the report calls for investment in agricultural innovation systems, expanding robust and resilient market access, strengthening regional and global trade, cultivating partnerships to pool resources and share knowledge, while reducing food waste.
Recently, Western Farm Press editor Todd Fichette wrote about a dog that caught my attention. He admits that it may be fiction, but the story relays a lesson that maybe all of us should heed.
As the story goes, a six-year-old boy was faced with watching the local veterinarian euthanize the family dog because the animal was old and suffering and in poor health. Mom and dad saw the sad decision as a learning opportunity for the young boy. As the dog fell asleep for the final time, the young boy was asked why he thought dogs live shorter lives than humans. The boy responded, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right? Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay for as long as we do.”
I wish listeners a happy and prosperous New Year.
